Fire extinguisher



P 19 J. w. WRIGHT -2,092,688 I I FIRE- EXTINGUISHEIR Filed May 28, 1934 AZ/ZZQZa 777 AQORNZL Patented Sept. 7, 1937 UNITED STATE...

FIRE. EXTINGUISHER John W. Wright, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to The Fyr-l yter Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application May 28, 1934, Serial No. 727,903 7 8 Claims.

This invention relates to fire extinguishers and more particularly to fire extinguishers of the chemical reaction type.

It is. the principal object of the invention to provide a fire extinguisher capable of operating promptly and smoothly over a wide range of temperature conditions.

It is a further object to provide an extinguisher having a basic charge and an acid charge comprising sulfuric acid, the extinguisher being capable of operating promptly and satisfactorily at extremely low temperatures.

It is a further object to provide a simple and effective construction of the means for containing, supporting, and discharging the acid material.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the description, the accompanying drawing, and the appended claims.

In the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a view partially in section and partially in elevation showing an extinguisher constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational View showing an acid bottle and the supporting structure therefor; and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view on the line 3--3 of Fig. 1 showing the extinguisher in inverted and operative position.

Referring to the drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, there is shown an outer sheet metal container it having a portion II with a beaded edge l2 serving as a base when the container stands in normal upright position. The lower end of the container is enclosed by a sheet metal bottom it to the outer surface of which there is attached the handle bracket M for handling the extinguisher when inverted. The top of the container is provided with a centrally located cover casting l5 forming an annular filler opening. The outer upper end of the cover casting is provided with threads it to threadedly receive a closing cap or cover member H. The cover ll carries an upwardly extending handle it in the form oi a ring which serves as a base for supporting the extinguisher when inverted to operative position.

A discharge casting 2t is positioned in the wall of the extinguisher adjacent the upper end thereof, a screen 2i being positioned in protective relation around the opening of the discharge casting to prevent accumulation of the material therein. The outer end of the casting is provided with a flexible hose 22 which carries a. discharge nozzle 23.

The outer container is adapted to hold a quan- 5 tity of a basic charge. This charge may comprise (Cl. Hill-32) a water solution of an alkali metal carbonate and also preferably a quantity of a freezing temperature depressant. For instance, very satisfactory results have been obtained by using the charge as disclosed in the Thomas and Hochwalt Patent 1,910,653 assigned to the same assignee as this application, such charge having a freezing point as low as -40 C.

In accordance with the present invention the acid material is preferably sulfuric acid. In order to prevent freezing of the acid at temperatures as low as -40 C., the specific gravity of the acid should be within limits of approximately 1.58 to 1.68, though the specific gravity may vary within wider limits where the temperatures encountered are not as low.

Sulfuric acid forms an inexpensive and otherwise desirable acid material, but difiiculty has been experienced in assuring proper reaction of the extinguisher throughout the range of temperature conditions demanded by the Underwriters Laboratories. Thus at temperatures of -40 C'., the ordinary extinguisher construction does not assure the operation of the extinguisher, as the acid may come into contact with the basic charge at such temperature without reacting sufliciently rapidly to generate an effective expelling pressure, and the operation of the extinguisher is either objectionably delayed or entirely prevented.

The present invention provides a simple, inexpensive extinguisher construction adapted to operate entirely satisfactorily at these temperatures, the construction being as follows. The acid bottle 25, adjacent the top, is formed with a neck 26, the wall of the bottle curving inwardly between the neck and the main cylindrical body thereof. The bottle is supported in a cage structure indicated generally at- 28, the cage comprising a pair of U-shaped strap members 29 and 30. These strap members are riveted together at their base by a rivet 3i and extend upwardly closely adjacent the sides of the bottle. Intermediate the ends of the bottle there is positioned a circular band 32 which is riveted to each of the strap members. Each of the straps extends above the band and at its upper end is riveted to a segmental flanged member 33. Each such member has an offset surface 3 adapted to seat within a corresponding offset shoulder 35 formed in the cover casting i5. Each strap member is also formed with an inwardly bent section 36 overlying the inwardly curving portion of the bottle and adapted to exert a camming action thereon to retain the bottle fixed in the cage.

When the cage is assembled in the extinguisher, the flange sections 33 are brought together to form a substantially complete ring seating within the cover casting, this action flexing the upper portion of the strap members and causing bent sections 35 to yieldingly hold the acid bottle in fixed position in the cage. When the cage structure is removed from the container, it provides for ready removal of the acid bottle therefrom, the upper portions of the strap members flexing to permit withdrawal of the acid bottle therefrom. In this way an acid bottle having a relatively large outside diameter, of the order of that of the inside diameter of the filling opening, can be satisfactorily used and provision is also made for a ready assembly and removal of the acid bottle from its supporting cage, as well as the assembled cage and acid bottle from the extinguisher, both the cage and the acid bottle being firmly held in proper operative position when assembled within the extinguisher.

A stopple it] having a centrally arranged depending tongue M is positioned over the opening of the acid bottle 25, the tongue being of predetermined lesser diameter than the opening in the bottle neck, and extending thereinto. The stopple is preferably formed of a metal which will not be acted upon by the materials in the extinguisher, a suitable material being lead. The stopple is formed with an annularly arranged skirt portion 52 spaced from the central tongue to form an annular reaction chamber 43, the inner diameter of the skirt portion being greater than the outer diameter of the bottle neck so that the stopple seats down upon the acid bottle when in a normal upright position to form an efiective seal therefor. The skirt portion 42 is further provided with a plurality of apertures 44 arranged in the side wall thereof, these apertures being of predetermined controlled size coordinated with the discharge area from the acid bottle to provide for the supply of basic charge and acid material at coordinated rates.

With the extinguisher in normal upright position as shown in Fig. 1, the acid bottle is sealed by the stopple. When the extinguisher is inverted for use the parts assume the position shown in Fig. 3, the stopple falling down against the cover ll, the tongue 4|, however, still being positioned within the bottle neck. Furhermore the parts are' preferably so related that the stopple falls to a position such that the upper end of the skirt portion 42 is approximately on a plane with or not materially below the lower end of the bottle neck 26.

Upon such inversion of the extinguisher, the reaction chamber 53 fills with a mixture of the basic solution, and with the acid material which is fed outwardly from the bottle in the annular space between the tongue of the stopple and the bottle neck. These parts thus form a discharge passage for the acid of predetermined area, providing for a controlled outflow of acid, the acid running out in an even stream without gurgling because of the presence of the tongue. The acid reacts with the basic solution in the reaction chamber with the evolution of gas which passes upwardly between the skirt and the outside of the bottle. The construction is such that the apertures d4 admit the basic material to the reaction chamber at a proper rate coordinated with the rate of discharge of acid from the bottle, and both these rates are further coordinated with the discharge area for the gas so that the reaction proceeds smoothly and uniformly with the proper proportions of the reacting materials.

When the extinguisher is operated under very cold conditions, such for instance as C., the first reaction of the acid and the basic material takes place as above pointed out in the reaction chamber. The reaction proceeds relatively slowly at first, and as it proceeds the heat generated by the reaction is effective to increase the temperature of the reacting materials. The reaction chamber, being of relatively limited extent, confines this initial reaction to a narrow zone, and substantially prevents dissipation of the initial heat of reaction into the main body of the charge of basic material. The heat being confined to small quantities of the charge, the temperature of the small quantities of reacting materials is raised materially in a very short time, and with the reaction proceeding, further quantities of both basic and acid charges are supplied to the reaction chamber. The reaction having started, sufiicient heat is developed and confined within the reaction chamber to assure the proper and continued operation of the extinguisher.

The invention therefore provides a simple construction for retaining the extinguisher in position during the operation, and provides for the controlled operation of the extinguisher even under very cold conditions.

While the form of apparatus herein described constitutes a preferred embodiment of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to this precise form of apparatus, and that changes may be made therein without departing from the scope of the invention which is defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A fire extinguisher of the character described comprising an outer container for holding a quantity of basic solution, an acid bottle for holding a 'quantity of sulfuric acid, means for holding said acid bottle within said container, and means defining a reaction chamber of predetermined limited extent having separate openings communicating at vertically spaced points with the outer container for admission of the basic solution and for discharge of the reaction products including an upper opening, a lower opening, and communication with the acid bottle, said lower opening being positioned substantially below said upper opening and the point of communication with the acid bottle, the lower opening serving as the admission opening by virtue of the hydraulic head of the basic solution.

2. A fire extinguisher of the character described comprising an outer container for holding a quantity of basic solution, an acid bottle mounted within said container and adapted upon inversion to discharge acid into contact with the basic material to generate an expelling pressure, means for confining the quantity of basic material contacted by the acid to confine the heat of the reaction Within restricted quantities of the reacting materials to thereby obtain a substantial temperature rise facilitating the reaction, said means comprising a cup-shaped member eifective through cooperation with the bottle as a reaction chamber of which the open end stands upwardly in inverted operating position, said bottle cooperating with the chamber to define openings for entrance of acid to the chamber and discharge of reaction products therefrom, said chamber having additional communication of substantial predetermined area with the outer container at a point spaced downwardly from said openings in the operating position for admission of the basic solution to the reaction chamber and effective as an admission opening by virtue of the hydraulic head of the basic solution.

3. A fire extinguisher capable of operating at temperatures of the order of 40 C. comprising an outer container adapted to hold a charge of basic solution, a vertically positioned inner container open at the end and holding a quantity of sulfuric acid, said inner container emptying upon inversion of the extinguisher to operating position, and means comprising a cup-shaped device in inverted overlying relationship with the inner container at the open end and effective upon operation of the extinguisher for reacting predetermined controlled quantities of said acid with said basic material, the cup-shaped device having an operating relationship with the acid bottle such that the open end of the said device stands spaced outwardly of and at substantially the level of the open end of the acid container,

said device having an additional opening of substantial area communicating with the outer container and coordinated with the area of bottle discharge and with the area of the gap between the said device and the bottle, said additional opening serving for admission of basic solution at a point within the device below the end of the inner container and affording a reaction chamber of limited proportions for free intermingling of the acid and basic solution within a restricted area, so that the heat of the reaction will be effective to raise the temperature of the reacting materials without being transferred to the main body of the basic charge.

4. A fire extinguisher of the character described comprising an outer container having a normal upright position and invertible to the position of use, said container having a charge of basic solution, an inner acid container opening upwardly in the normal position, a stopple for the inner container having a skirt portion of predetermined size overlying the inner container end and movable upon inversion from the position as a container closure to a removed operating position efiective as a reaction chamber wherein the end of the skirt portion stands at substantially the level of the inner container open end and affords an opening to the outer container for release of reaction products, said stopple having an opening spaced from the open end for admission of basic solution and effective as an admission opening throughout the operation of the extinguisher by virtue of the hydraulic head of the basic solution.

5. A fire extinguisher of the character described comprising an outer container having a normal upright position and invertible to the position of use, said container having a charge of basic so lution, an inner acid container opening upwardly in the normal position, a stopple for the inner container having a skirt portion of predetermined size overlying the inner container end and movable upon inversion from the position as a container closure to a removed operating position effective as a reaction chamber wherein the end of the skirt portion stands at substantially the level of the inner container open end and affords an opening to the outer container for release of reaction products, said stopple having an opening spaced from the open end for admission of basic solution and effective as an inlet opening by virtue of the hydraulic head of the basic solution, said stopple having a projecting tongue extending into the acid container and cooperating with the container end to define an acid outlet of predetermined size, the reaction outlet and said basic solution inlet each being larger in size than the acid outlet, the size relationship of the acid outlet, the reaction outlet and the basic solution inlet being of the order of 1 to 2 to 3 in the sequence named.

6. A fire extinguisher of the character described comprising an outer container for holding a quan tity of basic solution, an acid bottle for holding a quantity of sulphuric acid, means for holding said acid bottle within said container, and means defining a reaction chamber of predetermined limited extent having communication with the mouth of the acid bottle to receive acid fiow therefrom upon inversion of the extinguisher to operating position, and having communication with the outer container at vertically spaced openings of which by virtue of the hydraulic head the lowermost is efiective as an admission opening for the basic solution and the uppermost functions as a discharge outlet for the reaction products, the lowermost opening being of larger size than the upper discharge outlet and being substantially below the mouth of the acid bottle.

'7. A fire extinguisher of the character described comprising an outer container for holding a quantity of basic solution, an acid bottle for holding a quantity of sulphuric acid, means for holding said acid bottle within said container, means defining a reaction chamber of predetermined limited extent having a communicating opening to the mouth of the acid bottle to receive acid flow therefrom upon inversion of the extinguisher to operating position, and having communication with the outer container through vertically spaced openings of which by virtue of the hydraulic head the uppermost is efiective as a discharge opening for the reaction products and the lowermost functions as an inlet opening for the basic solution and is substantially below the mouth of the acid bottle, the communicating openings having a size relationship of the order of 1 to 2 to 3 in the sequence named.

8. A fire extinguisher of the character described comprising an outer container for holding a quantity of basic solution, an acid bottle for holding a quantity of sulphuric acid, means for holding said acid bottle within said container, and means defining a reaction chamber of predetermined limited extent having communication in the uppermost part thereof with the acid bottle to receive acid flow upon inversion of the extinguisher to operating position and having additional openings at spaced points with the outer container, one of said last-mentioned openings being at substantially the elevation of the point of communication with the acid bottle for discharge of reaction products from the said chamber and the other of said openings being at substantially the vertical midpoint of the chamber for admission of basic solution and effective as an admission opening by virtue of the hydraulic head of the basic solution.

JOHN W. WRIGHT. 

